Setting is one of the most important aspects of a story. It’s often underutilized, but there are many novels where the setting is crucial to the characters and narrative. If you’ve ever thought about visiting a town or city from your favorite book, we’ve got you covered! Here are five locations in the US that serve as settings for some classic novels. In these places, you’ll be able to visit locations that characters from the novels have gone and check out landmarks mentioned as well. For those living in the States, these cities are easy to access via a road trip!
Estes Park, The Shining by Stephen King
Estes Park in Colorado is home to the Stanley Hotel, which is the location that inspired King to write The Shining. The hotel has embraced this inspiration, as they now have The Shining Tour. The tour offers some history, a lot of Stephen King, and a peek into the paranormal shenanigans it has to offer. If you are driving through Colorado, consider stopping by this historic and ghostly site.
Boston, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan
While any of Rick Riordan’s mythical book series features a number of awesome real-world locations, such as Athens and Split, those are a bit harder to get to. We picked Boston for this list because of the endless exploration opportunities, and we wanted to show a little love to the city and one of Riordan’s less popular series, as you can traverse the city easily on foot or public transportation to visit many of the real-life locations the characters in the series visited. Not only is it Magnus’s home, but Riordan’s as well, which you can tell from the immersive detail in the three novels that he spends lots of time in this capital city.
If you’re in town, be sure to check out some key locations from the books that also happen to be Boston landmarks. Some of these include the Make Way for Ducklings Statue in the Boston Garden, which also serves as a portal to the nine realms, or the Longfellow Bridge, where Magnus meets his fiery doom (which is not a spoiler since it’s in the synopsis!)
San Francisco, Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
Maupin’s classic Tales of the City series, first published in 1976, chronicles the life of the residents of 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco as the city serves as the heart of the Saga spanning generations of friendship, love, and death in ten books. Armistead Maupin is also a pioneer of gay rights, as the series is inherently queer featirng many LGBTQ+ characters. San Francisco natives will be familiar with many of the locations mentioned in the books.
If you want to feel just like the characters in the books, consider stopping by some of the iconic locations in the books, such as Buena Vista Bar, and try their Irish coffee, Mary Ann Singleton. Or explore Ghiradelli Square, where Michael and Jon watched Young Frankenstein at the Ghiradelli cinema (that’s now closed). And while the famous 28 Burbery Lane is fictitious, it’s based on Macondray Lane in Russian Hill. With so many books in the series, there are plenty of locations in the city to visit, just like they did in the books!
Forks, Washington, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
What’s more iconic than Forks, Washington, the real-life setting of Twilight, the 2010s paranormal romance literary sensation? That’s right, the town where Bella, Edward, and Jacob live is a real location in Washington that you can visit right now! The gorgeous town is surrounded by beaches, rainforests, and mountains, making for a scenic stop for any road trip, filled with numerous recreational options.
If you are a massive fan, consider checking out The Collection at the Rainforest Arts Center in Forks, which hosts the largest collection of props and screen-worn costumes from the movie franchise. They also host their annual Forever Twilight in Forks Festival, which is a four-day festival to celebrate the Twilight Saga that even has guest appearances like actors from the movies! Maybe you’ll even spot a werewolf or vampire.
NYC, The City We Became by N.K. Jemison
New York City is perhaps one of the most popular real-world settings for a novel. Whether it’s fantasy, literary fiction, or sci-fi, it’s a hotbed of inspiration for written stories. Off the top of my head, some well-known novels like A Little Life, The Great Gatsby, Passing, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Mortal Instruments, The Diviners, Catcher in the Rye, and The Bell Jar are all set in NYC. The list of novels set in the Big Apple is endless, reflecting the bustling nature and our belief that anything is possible in the metropolis. The City We Became isn’t just set in New York; it’s a love letter to the city. It imagines a world where cities are sentient, and each one has a soul. But New York has five; one for every borough. The city’s various neighborhoods make for a perfect detour or final destination. You can find music, fashion, food, and more, all within the city, with deep roots in American history.
If you ever find yourselves in any of these settings, we hope you take time to check out some of the cool landmarks, just like the characters in the books would!
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